


Frosted

by MagicalReads



Category: Disney - Fandom, rise of the guardians
Genre: F/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-02
Updated: 2019-04-02
Packaged: 2020-01-01 07:32:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,337
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18331490
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MagicalReads/pseuds/MagicalReads
Summary: On the brink of disappearance again, Jack Frost rushes to the hidden island of Corona in the hopes of finding his lone believer.In desperation of escaping the tower she's been trapped in the entirety of her life, Rapunzel makes a deal with the man of snow - a staff for a few hours of freedom, with Jack as her guard.But when things go awry, the two are forced to team up in order to take down a force that should never have returned. And Rapunzel might just be the key to stop it.





	Frosted

It was a somber, stormy night in the village of Corona. The wind was blowing so strong, it was as if a giant was crouched down by the shores, exhaling fast and hard breaths directly its way. The rain was falling so ruthlessly, it was as if an angry faucet had opened itself in the skies above.

Corona hadn't had a hurricane so comparatively bad in decades, perhaps even centuries.

Somewhere, deep inside the olden town, a young couple lay devastated in their bedroom. The man's wife, Liesa Rettersonne, had gotten ill only days prior. On any typical day, this would have been nothing to worry themselves about, but given how quickly Liesa was bedridden, it was clear to the both of them this bug wasn't one she would escape.

The thought could have been one somewhat bearable, somewhat survivable, if it wouldn't have been for the beautiful child blossoming inside her belly, awaiting to see this wonderful world for herself. 

Liesa's husband, Zacharia, sat still beside her, crouched low on the creaky, wooden floor, her hand held tightly in his own. His heartbreak was written well and clear upon his face. 

''My love," he whispered, loud enough to hear over the storm roaring beyond stone walls. "There must be something we can do to save you, to save the baby...'' Unconsciously, he set a single hand flat onto the woman's swollen belly.

With all the effort in the world, Liesa reached out to brush a strand of curled brown hair behind her husband's ear. "Zach... I truly wish... there were..." She drew a tired breath. It rasped painfully in her throat. "I would... do anything for... her... you... to stay by your side for... all eternity.''

Zacharia nodded glumly, wetness blooming behind thick lashes. But all of his tears vanished when a dangerous idea sparked inside his mind. Liesa's body visibly tensed as soon as she noticed the change in her husband's previously solemn demeanour. 

"But we could always fetch one of the witch's golden flowers!" Zach suddenly insisted, desperation lacing his voice.

"No!" Liesa protested at once. The sudden rise of her voice sent her into a harsh coughing fit. Her body ached moreso, something she'd thought could not be possible, and her lungs burned with renewed rawness.

The witch was only a cruel tale the townsfolk sparked about the Rettersonne family's eccentric neighbour, Dame Gothel. She'd lived here long since the couple were both only babes in their cradles, yet she'd never birthed a single child of her own, nor took a husband to keep by her side. Instead, she stayed holed up in her home, leaving only to fetch necessities from the market. Which was a relief to Corona, given how many townsfolk escaped to their own Safehaven's whenever she left hers.

And though Liesa did not believe her to be as horrible as the townsfolk portrayed her to be, she knew far too well she'd never let any of her loved ones risk getting too close to her before Gothel did anything to show she possessed even a spark of kindness within her heart.

When she felt well enough to spur on, Liesa tried again. "I...I will be fine... without. You need not... risk a bargain, my love. Please."

But Zacharia would not give up so easily. "Not a bargain, then. I could climb into her yard and take one for myself. She need not know of anything."

All Liesa could do was shake her head no.

"But let me try," he pleaded with saddened eyes. They were green as freshly cut grass. "Let me try. It would be easy enough with the storm raging."

Somehow, a soft chuckle escaped the sickly woman's lips. "Gothel is... as observant as... a hawk. Do you not... think she'd not notice if... if one of... her flower's... were suddenly gone?"

"She'd blame it on the wind." Zacharia argued, only to be met with further disagreement. With a promise that he'd stay safely rooted under this very roof, the brokenhearted man lay his head upon the small sliver of mattress by his wife's waist. He shut his eyes.

Soon enough, Liesa's breathing slowed into the comforting rhythm of sleep. When he was certain she would not wake, Zacharia lifted his head and gently unclasped their hands. He walked lightly out of the room.

Down the stone stairs he went, and across the kitchen to the back exit. With a deep inhale, he stepped out into the ruthless storm. He loved his wife and unborn child much too thoroughly to simply just let an illness take them both, especially when he knew there was something he could do about it. There was a possibility none of this would work out, that the flowers would be but normal plants, except he'd seen firsthand how protective the witch was of them and how well drinking tea from its dried petals did her. 

Carefully, Zacharia climbed over the tall, wooden fence and dropped down into the witch's garden. Even through the blinding rain, it was easy to spot the golden rapunzel's glowing brightly near the house. He'd never seen one of this colour other than in the witch's stock. 

Without a second's hesitation, Zach rushed forward and fell to his knees beside the plant. He dug his hands into the soaked earth, cold and watery as the night.

Moments after, he stood safely in his kitchen, heart racing, flower in hand.

After setting a pot of water to boil, petals neatly stirred in, Zacharia hurried to change into a set of dry clothes. When all was done, he climbed back up to his wife's side. Delicately, he shook her awake. 

"I made you some tea,'' he whispered. She smiled as best she could through sleep-filled eyes and let her husband tip the warm liquid between her chapped lips.

.·:* *:·.

To the villages relief, there was no sign of yesterday's storm come morning. To the couples relief, Liesa's condition had already greatly improved by the sun's rising. By noon, she was on her feet, as if by magic. Later, even, the smell of cooking apple pie swirled joyfully through the air.

Nothing could have ruined this miracle of day, except the sudden, angry rasp at the door. 

Zacharia immediately set down his forkful of pie and rushed to welcome their visitor. But when he opened the door, a familiar, raven-haired woman appeared before him. There was a cruel smirk plastered across her lips.

"You stole my flower."

Liesa's soft green eyes spun toward her husband's, horrified. At her feet, the glass she had been holding to her lips crashed onto stone.

There was no chance he could explain away her miraculous recovery without mentioning the flower, Zacharia knew. So he fell hard to his knees and plead. 

"Please, it was only to save my family! I'm sorry! Punish me, if you must, but please spare them for their innocence, Gothel!"

The witch's lips curled further up as she set a hand on her hip. "Fine, fine. How about a deal?" It was as much an order as it was a question. "When that precious child births, hand it to me and your theft will be completely forgiven, so long as you never cross me again."

The couple burst into tears. 

"No," Zacharia cried. "Anything but that..." But the witch offered no alternative, other than the threat of a long and merciless death to the both of them. With either decision, Gothel would take the babe as her own. The only difference was the couple could either live through it, or die fighting.

So when she was born only days later, Liesa and Zacharia handed the golden-haired babe to Gothel with a single hug and a peck of their lips onto her beautiful forehead. We will find you again, darling angel, they vowed into her tiny ear.

But little did they know, in only a few days' time, they would wake to see that the cruel witch and their child had gone.


End file.
